At last, club football has returned, with Everton seeking to end a winless run in the Premier League that stretches back over three months.
It has been strange past three weeks for the Toffees, who saw their final game before the international break postponed due to Liverpool’s progression in the FA Cup.
So, with their last game being a 2-0 away loss to Manchester United on the 9th of March, the playing squad should certainly be well-rested.
That being said, others were forced away on an international break, with Jordan Pickford one such example.
Having come under scrutiny for his performance just last night, his words on Anthony Gordon might garner even more distaste from Evertonians.
Jordan Pickford on Anthony Gordon leaving Everton
Speaking to BBC 5 Live, the 30-year-old, who will have spent seven years at Everton come the summer, has been ever-present throughout the highs and the lows of Farhad Moshiri’s tenure.
As one of those big purchases from their infamous 2017 summer spending, he is inarguably the most successful, having since made 269 appearances for the Toffees and grown into one of their most important assets.
Without him, they certainly would not be a Premier League club anymore.
He has seen numerous players come and go, and never really offered his thoughts on that relentless cycle.
However, with it having been over a year since Gordon’s 2023 exit, he has finally broken his silence.
The former Sunderland man said, of the £45m Newcastle United star: ‘Ant wanted to leave and he went to Newcastle, and I think he has been their best player with his performances for them this season.
‘He’s been consistent in picking up goals so credit to him.’
Anthony Gordon has impressed since leaving Everton
Pickford is not wrong with his assessment of the 23-year-old, however tough it might be to take as an Evertonian.
After all, the manner of Gordon’s exit was extremely acrimonious, engineering an exit from his boyhood club as they were staring down the barrel of a relegation.
He jumped ship, and only made matters worse when he returned to Goodison Park later in the year.
Despite only coming on as a sub late on in the Magpies’ comfortable victory, he was pictured in the tunnel passionately celebrating the win. A win that condemned Everton, his former employers, further towards the drop.
He is one of the most maligned figures amongst Evertonians at the moment, and his current form at St James’ Park has not aided that either.
With nine goals and six assists in the Premier League this season, many fans are wondering where that goalscoring pedigree was when the Toffees were crying out for some additional firepower.
He will likely go on to enjoy a fine career in Tyneside, but upon returning to Merseyside there is no chance of a warm reception.